The Houston Rockets seem to have a knack for attracting sensational Asian players.
In the last decade, it was the widely-popular and marketable Yao Ming. Who could forget this classic commercial?
But more than being a marketable star, Yao's size, a monstrous 7'6", and remarkable scoring prowess helped turn Houston into a formidable force in the Western Conference for years, marked by until nagging injuries forced him to retire after the 2010-11 season.
And this season, it was the explosive and exciting Jeremy Lin, with Taiwanese roots, that has captivated Rockets fans and helped to elevate the Rockets to a 20-15 record as of Thursday and, paired along with James Harden, is powering Houston to its No.1 ranked NBA offense (106.0 points per game).
When Yao, born in China, was drafted with the No.1 pick by the Rockets in the 2002 NBA Draft, Houston had come off a staggeringly terrible season at 28-54. Yao's impact was instantaneous, the Rockets improving to a 43-39 record, narrowly missing the playoffs by one game.
In that first season, Yao finished with 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. Modest numbers at a glance, but a strong start to what would be a dominating nine-year career where he would average 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks, establishing himself as one of the most intimidating centers of his era.
In addition, of the nine seasons Yao played, he was an NBA All-Star in eight of them.
But the telling story was in his rookie season in Houston.
In Yao's first month of NBA action in November 2002, the leviathan-like center scored only 10.1 points and a mere 5.3 rebounds to go with 1.4 blocks. As we have come to expect by now, the first season always has its learning curves. He was new to the NBA, new to the team, and thrust into a spotlight because of his size, ethnicity and potential.
It didn't take long for Yao to improve, though.
In December of that season, his point totals ticked upwards to 17.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and a whopping 2.7 blocks. It looked for sure that the Rockets had a new dominant superstar on their hands. But then the numbers tapered off to 12.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 0.3 blocks in a January where Yao struggled.
His point totals vacillated the rest of the season, back up to 16.5 points in February, down to 13.6 points in March and finishing at 11.8 points for April to end the season.
The following season, he racked up 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game and never looked back as he continued to improve and dominate.
Now, let's take a look at Lin.
His scenario is a little different, having bounced from Golden State to Houston to New York before his amazing breakout season last year catapulted him into stardom and helped saved the Knicks' season--a lot like how Yao turned around the Rockets in his first year there.
Since landing in Houston, Lin has been hot and cold as he has gotten accustomed to his new and young teammates in a new city. For his first full month as a member of the Houston Rockets, Lin was off to a slow (by the standards set for him) start, averaging 10.2 points, 6.4 assists and 2.0 steals in November. He shot only 37 percent in field goals.
The next month, however, there was an uptick in Lin's offense in a December filled with numerous highlight reel moments, including his 38 points against the Spurs on Dec. 10, his 22 point, 9-assist performance in his return to New York on Dec. 17 and several other high-scoring games against the Spurs, Grizzlies and 76ers. Lin ended up finishing December with 13.8 points, 6.3 assists and a 48.9 percent shooting average.
So far, his January point total of 13.0 points is ahead of Yao's. As the season progresses, it should be a telling story as to how much he improves, or if he falls off.
But what if the numbers truly do tell the story? When comparing Lin to Yao, Houston's other beloved Asian superstar, Lin could be on the right track upwards.
After all, Yao didn't have it all together when he first started in Houston. But he improved over time, and once Tracy McGrady came to Houston in 2004-05--forming the well-remembered "Rush Hour" tandem of McGrady and Yao--Houston became a force to be reckoned with.
Lin also has a new partner in crime equally explosive as McGrady--the athletically gifted Harden, who came over a little after Lin did.
The parallels are striking. Could the same successful results for both Lin and Houston end up the same? Only time will tell.